By Cynthia M Piccolo
So you've found that perfect job, and decided to accept it. How can you make your departure as painless as possible for you and your current employer?
Give as much notice as your contract requires. If you're not under contract, what constitutes reasonable notice can vary from job to job and/or employer to employer. Generally it's two to four weeks. If you work in a critical area, or there are extenuating circumstances such as scarcity of staff, and the employer needs/wants more time, and you can give more time, do it.
Don't let your supervisor hear of your departure from anyone other than you. (And you should have a resignation letter ready for formalities' sake.) If you want to tell your on-the-job friends about your departure first, make sure they keep it to themselves until you tell your supervisor.
If you're close to your coworkers, speak to them individually. Breaking up is hard to do.
If your workplace has been less than pleasant, avoid going on about how glad you are to be leaving, and how wonderful your new job will be compared to the hellhole you're currently working in.
Don't badmouth your manager(s), employer, or coworkers. You don't want to burn bridges. (Or be the running joke for the people that remain on staff, who can regale their new coworkers with entertaining anecdotes about the nightmare that used to work with them.)
If you'll be involved with turning over files, booking/scheduling activities, etc., make sure you have everything organized for the person who will be taking over.
Similarly, if you're in a situation where you're turning over cases, let your patients/clients know of the change.
If it is helpful, make yourself available to train your replacement.
Find out from Personnel what you'll need to do regarding your final pay, ending/transferring/cashing pension plans, ending health plans, returning access passes/keys, etc.
If possible, get copies of references and performance evaluations.
Continue to do your job! After all, they're still paying you.
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